Toto Wolff has labelled Lewis Hamilton’s unveiling at Ferrari last week as “iconic” as the Mercedes boss looks ahead to life without the seven-time F1 world champion.
After six drivers’ world championships in 12 years, Hamilton has left the Silver Arrows to join Ferrari for the 2025 season and beyond.
Wolff, meanwhile, has promoted Italian hotshot Kimi Antonelli to replace Hamilton, with the 18-year-old partnering George Russell this year.
When asked about Hamilton’s Scuderia unveiling last week in Fiorano, Wolff told Sky Sports News on Wednesday night: “It’s a little bit like you divorce amicably, and it’s all good…
“And then you see your partner for the first time with a new friend!
“But I’m really happy for him and I told him that those pictures were iconic that he made. It was so well curated and no surprise with Lewis.”
Meanwhile, Wolff is eyeing a strong start for Mercedes at the season-opening race in Australia on 16 March and has backed Antonelli to impress when he becomes the third-youngest driver in F1 history.
“He’s [Kimi’s] been in the team, integrated for such a long time,” Wolff added. “We’ve known him since he was 11 and in that respect, he’s been prepared. He’s ready to go and he can’t wait.
“We were scratching our heads a lot last year, particularly in the beginning. Like all the other teams, we had ups and downs; we had some very dominant performances and then other races that were not so good.
“At the end of the day, when the flag drops, we’re going to see in qualifying in Melbourne where we stand.”
The 24-race 2025 season starts with the Australian Grand Prix on 16 March.
The 10-team season launch event, F1 75 Live, at the O2 Arena in London takes place on Tuesday 18 February, with Mercedes officially unveiling their 2025 car on Monday 24 February.
